


The Balance of the Force

by ISOlatedThinker



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, At least more or less, Basically Ben is in Rey's place and Rey is Kylo Ren, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Jedi Ben Solo, Like it's really slow burn, Poe and Ben knew each other growing up, Sith Rey, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-15 21:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8073088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ISOlatedThinker/pseuds/ISOlatedThinker
Summary: One of only two Jedi in the Galaxy, Ben Solo has separated from his uncle in an effort to keep the Galaxy safe. Across the Galaxy in the Unknown Reaches, a new power grows and draws from the lingering power of the Empire. The fate of the Galaxy and the Force hang in the balance as Luke Skywalker tries to bring about the return of the Jedi. However, the balance of the Force has always meant stability for the Galaxy.





	1. The Remaining Jedi

Nimble fingers parted the beaded curtain of Lor San Tekka's hut as the two friends entered. Separated by three years and different destinies, Ben and Poe spent their childhoods together. They had kept in contact with one another through the holonet, chatting about their lives and, in Poe's case, recent missions. Ben absently dusted sand from his sleeves as he straightened his brown cloak. Underneath, instead of his traditional Jedi Knight attire, he wore a different outfit. He resembled some of the villagers, the white shirt under his tunic and beige pants giving him protection from the heat of the day and the current cool of the night. His Jedi tunic provided him with extra protection from the sand while the hem hid his lightsaber from view. He pushed the hood off his head as he and Poe sat next to one another, dark eyes studying Lor San Tekka as the older man readied a pot. Apprehension dug at the back of his mind as Ben searched through the Force. He lingered at different signatures, finding from a young age that the signatures of planets held an unshakable promise. His mother's Force signature brushed against his own as he tried to discern her activities. He stayed in the warmth of her presence in the Force before he withdrew, centering himself once more in the hut.

"I trust you both found your way here without difficulty," Lor San Tekka said in greeting as he handed them each a cup of tea.

Ben glanced at Poe and laughed slightly. "Poe's droid almost tripped us a few times, but crossing the village was easy."

Poe shook his head and nudged his friend. "Ben's lying," he said. "He stopped a few times and looked toward the horizon."

The aging man sat across from them and rested his hands on his knees. Ben cautiously met his gaze and exhaled through his nose. The last thing he wanted to do was cause unnecessary panic and, while looking at the stars and the horizon brought him solace and hope, he sensed instability in the Force. Darkness surged in a corner of the Galaxy and he felt the vibrations through the Force. The Dark Side plagued the Skywalker family in more than one way, taunting from the edges of the Force and tempting some of the most powerful Force users in the Galaxy. He remembered conversations with his uncle as he went through the trials. His uncle told Ben that facing temptation was part of the Jedi way, but it was up to him to overcome the temptation he encountered. His uncle knew more about the Force than Ben, even as a Jedi Knight.

Poe's hand on his shoulder brought Ben out of his thoughts and a slightly sheepish look marred his face. A warming presence settled beside him and the sheepish look turned into a faint smile as he pushed a hand through his hair. "Well... something did happen this morning," he said. "I wasn't sure what it meant, and I'm still not sure what it means, but I saw my grandparents early this morning." A short laugh followed his words as color settled on his cheeks. "Actually, I'm fairly certain they're still here." 

The elder leaned forward, something akin to surprise on his face. "Padme? She was never a Force user."

"Everything returns to the Force," he said.

Poe whistled. "I knew that part. Yavin was a good place in the Force. I never sensed it, but I remember hearing stories of pilots who sensed things they never could explain."

"If both visited you, there was a reason." Lor San Tekka sipped at his cup of tea and looked over the rim at Ben. "There are troubling times ahead for all of us."

Ben frowned slightly, balling his left hand into a fist as he brushed the fingers of his right hand against hilt of his grandfather's lightsaber. Strange dreams, ones that bordered on prophecies or visions, began the night his first wielded the Skywalker lightsaber. The look he received from his uncle that day was full of immense pride. It was hardly anything Ben expected, so the congratulations he received from his uncle and the Padawans and acolytes at the academy, was something dear to his heart. His brow furrowed as he withdrew himself from his memories and once again looked at Lor San Tekka. Blood of powerful families, including the Force itself, flowed through Ben's veins and he knew better than most that dreams and memories held unspeakable power.

"You were stuck in your head again, Benny," Poe said with a small smile.

Dark eyes glimmered with mirth as he lightly punched his friend's shoulder. Ben and Poe liked spending time with one another, though their interests had shifted since their youth. One interest always remained the same, and that interest was a specific freighter. Ben's favorite ship, especially during his youth, was his father's  _Millennium Falcon_. He spent months aboard the  _Falcon_ , entranced and enthralled with his father's work. There were dangerous situations involved, situations his mother never knew about, but that just made the time he managed to spend with his father more enjoyable. He more than once tried his hand with flying an X-wing, but he found himself at home aboard the  _Falcon_. He piloted the ship with ease until his parents decided it was time for him to study with his uncle. 

"Ben," Lor San Tekka said, bringing Ben out of his thoughts. "Do you remember your training?"

Confused, the Jedi Knight gave a short not. "It's not easy to forget training, not after you complete the trials."

The old man laughed and dug through a pouch in his hands before he pulled out a small object. The object, blue in color, looked no larger than the kyber crystal contained within Ben's lightsaber. "This contains a piece of a map that leads to Luke Skywalker," he said. "I don't know where the rest of the map is, or if it exists, but Luke is currently safe."

Ben sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He needed to hear good news, and nothing was better than learning that his uncle was safe. He watched with near rapt attention as Lor San Tekka passed the object to Poe. Ben searched through the Force with no clear goal, half paying attention to Poe and Lor San Tekka. He liked the touch of the Galaxy as people moved through space and systems. There was a song in the Galaxy, each chord and note connected through the Force and each person. Dark energy approached with a ferocity that constructed his chest, engulfing the light in an instant and threatening to darken every system in the Galaxy. He swallowed past a growing lump in his throat and he sucked in a breath as Poe's trusted astromech beeped in quick alarm.

"We  _can't_ be together, Poe," Ben said. "We need to get as far away from one another, and that map needs to be kept safe." He shook his head, a small laugh bubbling up past his working jaw. "If the Darksiders have one Skywalker, the Galaxy remains safe. As soon as two Skywalkers are under their control, the Galaxy is in grave danger."

Poe screwed up his face and, in spite of the tension, barked a short laugh. "Jeez, Ben, your family screws up the Galaxy as much as it helps."

Ben's muscles tensed and he readied an escape before Poe cleared his throat and accepted a bag from Lor San Tekka. A dark brow quirked as Poe passed the bag to Ben. He opened it and something caught in his chest. "The general gave me that before I left for the planet," he said. "She knew you would have a use for it sooner rather than later." 

Swallowing, he nodded and moved to the back of the hut before he quickly shed his large cloak. His tunic joined the cloak before he quickly shed his boots, pulling the tan pants off his legs before he changed into the pants Poe had given him. His lightsaber found place in a blaster pocket as Ben hurriedly put the jacket on. The scent that reminded him of his father tickled his nose and his chest tightened before he sighed. He dug through the bag out of curiosity, finding familiar pieces of a starfighter. Ben breathed through his nose, folded up his tunic, and tucked it in the bag before he put his cloak over his shoulders.

_"While robes hardly make a Jedi, Ben, you're going above and beyond the call of a Jedi_ _,"_ his grandfather said, Anakin's voice a comfort in Ben's mind. 

He hefted the bag over his shoulder and rejoined Poe and Lor San Tekka near the front of the hut. "Make your way to Niima Outpost," the latter said. "Your bag contains parts of the  _Mirrorbright_ , your mother's fighter, so you can barter for portions. Once you get to the outpost, find a way off the planet. It doesn't matter where you go, but you need to get to safety."

Ben looked between Poe and BB-8 before he nodded. "I can't say I'm surprised, but this is moving quickly." Ben's voice held a mixture of emotions and he clapped Poe on his shoulder before he inclined his head to Lor San Tekka. He hesitated before he walked out of the hut, dark eyes searching the sky as he faintly picked out nearing lights. His heart set to thudding in his chest as a mixture of excitement an anticipation roiled under his skin.

"Ben, may the Force be with you," Lor San Tekka said, the words bringing a smile to the corners of the Jedi Knight's mouth.

He inclined his head again and turned to face the elder man. "May the Force be with you as well."

Ben pulled the hood up over his dark hair, wrapping one end of it over his nose and mouth to protect his face from blowing sand. He turned on his heel and walked away from the hut and across the village. He hastened out of the village as a foreboding presence reached him through the Force. The shiver that worked its way to the base of his spine only pushed him further from the village, making him ever wary of the encroaching darkness. 


	2. Niima Outpost

Ben stumbled as he reached the top of the next ridge. He rolled his shoulders and shook exhaustion from his limbs. Ben glanced behind him and his shoulders sagged. His flight from Tuanul left him with little time to comprehend the progression of events. He had hesitated near the edge of the village when he heard blasters firing, urging himself to move farther away. He'd walked for most of the night and he rubbed his eyes as he looked out over the rolling landscape before he felt an awakening in the Force. 

The Jedi Knight fully turned to face Tuanul and he searched for the awakening. The energy from the fledgling Force-sensitive imbued him with renewed vigor and something akin to worry creased his brow. The Force-sensitive seemed reluctant, almost hesitant, but awash in the light side of the Force.  _Could this be the awakening Uncle Luke needs?_ he thought as he turned around, shifting the large bag on his shoulder. Brown eyes looked at the sloping ridge below him and he began his descent, feet sinking into the sand.

Stars glinted overhead and Ben cast his gaze to the dark sky as he trudged through a dune. The cold air of night cut through him, breezes stirring up sand and causing it to swirl around his legs. He pulled his hood lower on his head and adjusted his makeshift scarf to keep sand away from his face. 

" _What is it with us and sand planets?_ " Anakin asked, materializing next to his grandson.

Ben rolled his eyes and looked at his grandfather's Force ghost before he shrugged. "Uncle Luke said the planet was safe. Tuanul was manageable, actually."

He shifted the bag on his shoulder again before he tugged the scarf away from his mouth. He rummaged through one of the pockets of his pants and grinned as he found a canteen. He unscrewed the top with one hand and drank, savoring the taste of the water. He replaced the cap and shoved it back in his pocket before he trekked up another ridge. One of Jakku's moons shone brightly overhead as Ben traversed another ridge, skillfully angling his descent until a series of beeps brought him to a halt.

He recognized the beeping.

" **Kriff**!" he swore as he took off running.

He kicked up sand in his wake, hurrying in the direction of the beeping. Too much rested on Poe's droid for it to wind up in the wrong hands. He trusted his friend to not do anything stupid, but he was thinking of the young Resistance pilot who stole the oldest X-Wing for a joyride. Ben shook his head at the memory as he cut a path through the easiest terrain, a structure materializing in the distance. The muscles in his leg protested as he pushed himself forward.

The nearby structures grew more clear as he clambered atop a half-buried AT-AT Walker. He whistled lightly as he stopped, trying to discern the location of the droid. Beeps sounded from nearby and he dashed off the Walker, coming to a stop near a native creature.

The creature yelled in an almost foreign tongue and Ben huffed in slight annoyance. He pushed the creature and its mount away from BB-8 before he untangled the droid from the net.

"Buddy, what are you doing here?" he asked, straightening the astromech's antenna as he knelt.

Immediately, BB-8 launched into a hurried series of beeps and whistles, body rocking back and forth. 

Ben put his hand on the orange and white body before he laughed a little. "You know I can't understand you when you talk that fast," he said. "Give me the basics, if you can."

The droid sighed and looked up at Ben. " _He gave me the map and told me to go away. I don't know where they took him._ "

"They?" Ben pulled the hood off his head and his brow furrowed. "What do you mean by 'they,' Beebee?"

BB-8 rocked forward a little. " _I don't know. They were dressed in white. Another was dressed in black. I think it took Poe._ "

Rubbing the back of his neck, Ben sighed. "Stormtroopers."

" _We need to get this map back to the base_ ," reminded BB-8 in soft beeps.

Laughing slightly, he nodded and rose, brushing sand off the knees of his pants. He looked out over the AT-AT and a curious smile turned up the corners of his mouth.

* * *

Several languages accosted Ben as he reached Niima Outpost. BB-8 beeped beside him, almost conversational, and a different smile quirked at the corners of Ben's mouth. The idea of going back to D'Qar, of bringing his mother a way to find her brother, filled him with unbridled hope and near childlike optimism. He took the bag off his shoulder and crouched down, setting the bag on the nearest patch of sand. He pulled out valuable ship components, parts of hyperdrive systems and navicomputers in working order, as well as varied currencies. Ben slid the currencies in the inner pockets of his jacket. Credits, while accepted in most systems, had little value in gambling.

Ben rose and set the bag back on his shoulder as he looked around the outpost. He needed to find food and a place to rest, at least until the next morning. He needed to get off Jakku as soon as possible, though he doubted the likeliness of those events.

BB-8 beeped and his head swiveled, pointing near a tent with a growing line. Ben's brow furrowed before the astromech beeped again, purposefully knocking against Ben's leg. He laughed a little at the droid's persistence and made his way toward the line.

He stood behind a creature with cages at its back, brightly colored birds chirping their songs and flitting from perch to perch. Ben stood there, watching the birds as they seemed to dance through the conjoined cages until a finger prodded him in the back.

"You're up," a voice behind him growled in broken Basic.

Ben took the sack off his shoulder and deposited each piece onto the metal counter in front of the mesh, fingers lingering against the hyperdrive components. The Crolute salivated behind the counter and Ben shivered. "What's it worth?"

Meaty hands grabbed the items and inspected them. "Excellent condition," he hummed. Meaty fingers tapped the counter before he pulled the components off the counter. "What you've brought is worth forty portions."

Ben scraped the portions into the open sack before depositing it on his shoulder again. He then turned away, BB-8 rolling behind him. He needed to find a structure with some amount of protection. He'd slept in forests before, relying on nothing but his wits, at least during his Jedi trials. He sighed and let the Force direct him, walking until a small figure brought him to a stop.

"Do you need help?" asked the small boy.

Ben crouched, getting on the child's level, and said, "I just need a place to rest. I've been walking all night."

He rose at the presence of a taller shadow and a respectful smile quirked at the corners of his mouth. "Greer, invite them inside."

The boy, Greer, smiled and directed Ben and BB-8 into the deceptively spacious tent.

He set the sack down and took a moment to look at the tent. 

Ben remembered stories from his youth, stories that his mother told him. They were always about his grandfather and how he overcame diversity. He tried to juxtapose the tent with his memories before a wistful smile started to find place at the corners of his mouth.

"Where are you all from?" Ben asked.

Greer's mother gently guided him to one of the chairs and Ben sighed in relief. "Greer and I are from Tattooine," his mother explained. "I bought freedom for myself and my son." The woman seemed to remember herself and the corners of her mouth quirked up in a smile as well. "My name is Lorel."

Ben inclined his head. "It's nice to meet you both." He removed his cloak and laughed slightly. "My grandfather won his from Watto. I heard that was the most exciting Boonta Eve race Jabba had witnessed."

Greer nearly tripped over his feet as he hurried over to Ben. "You're grandfather is Anakin Skywalker! His story is a legend. If a slave can become a Jedi, anything is possible." 

The young boy's eyes narrowed as he seemed to look Ben over before a wide grin found place at his lips. "You're a Jedi," he said, small voice holding wonder.

Ben chuckled and rubbed Greer's head as he nodded. "A Jedi with Skywalker, Naberrie, and Solo blood," he said. "My bloodlines mingle in the best and worst ways."

He retrieved some portions from his sack with the Force as he stood, passing them to Lorel. Some color settled on his cheeks as he looked at the mother. "Here," he said, pressing them into her hands. "Use these to help your next meal. It's the least I can do to thank you for your hospitality."

Lorel looked at the portions and her gaze returned to Ben before she nodded.

Ben let his mind wander as he took his seat once again, resting his hands on his knees as he turned his attention to BB-8.

The last thing he wanted to have happen was for them to be in the same spot.  _Nothing to be done about it now_ he mused as he put his hand on the droid's head.

" _Everything's going to work out_ ," BB-8 reassured as he knocked against Ben's leg.

His lopsided smile found place at the corners of his mouth as he nodded. "It always does."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this one took longer to get up, but I am amazed by the response this has gotten. Leaving a review or two would definitely encourage me to write more and write faster. I will endeavor to resume a regular posting schedule soon.
> 
> Un-beta'd and typed up at one and two in the morning, so I am sorry for any mistakes.


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